Description
Lead overall command of emergency incidents and fire prevention operations, setting strategy, allocating resources, ensuring responder and public safety, and coordinating multiagency efforts in accordance with ICS/NIMS.
- • Assume and transfer command per ICS/NIMS, establishing incident objectives and priorities.
- • Conduct initial and continuous size-up of conditions, hazards, and resource needs.
- • Deploy and reassign resources to protect life, stabilize the incident, and conserve property.
- • Approve and communicate the Incident Action Plan and operational period objectives.
- • Establish and manage the command organization, appointing key command and general staff.
- • Coordinate multiagency and mutual-aid operations, implementing Unified Command when required.
- • Manage incident communications and information flow with dispatch and cooperating agencies.
- • Ensure responder and public safety, establish control zones, and authorize evacuations or shelter-in-place.
- • Oversee emergency medical, rescue, and hazardous materials operations and assign capabilities.
- • Authorize ordering, staging, and demobilization of personnel, equipment, and aircraft.
- • Monitor resource status, water supply, weather, fire behavior, and structural conditions to adjust tactics.
- • Approve tactical strategies for structure, wildland, and WUI incidents, selecting offensive or defensive modes.
- • Direct establishment of ICP, base, staging, and support facilities.
- • Conduct command and operational briefings and ensure accurate situation reports.
- • Ensure creation, accuracy, and retention of ICS forms, maps, and incident records.
- • Track and approve incident costs, ensuring fiscal accountability and cost containment.
- • Authorize procurement, maintenance, and replacement of critical equipment based on needs.
- • Oversee compliance with laws, codes, permits, and departmental policies during operations.
- • Coordinate origin-and-cause investigations and reporting with prevention and law enforcement.
- • Evaluate performance of subordinate supervisors and overall operations; implement corrective actions.
- • Direct training priorities and readiness for ICS, firefighting, EMS, hazmat, and prevention.
- • Approve pre-incident plans, evacuation routes, and community risk reduction strategies.
- • Oversee inspections and fire protection system evaluations through prevention units when relevant.
- • Review and improve SOPs/SOGs using lessons learned and after-action analyses.
- • Prepare and approve incident reports, correspondence, and after-action reviews.
- • Manage public information strategy with the PIO and communicate updates to stakeholders.
- • Coordinate with utilities, public works, hospitals, and NGOs to support objectives.
- • Make personnel decisions and recommendations on discipline, performance, leave, and grievances.
- • Ensure qualifications, certifications, and readiness of personnel and maintain required records.
- • Plan, authorize, and command prescribed burns or special operations within authority and review outcomes.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
